Lost Inside
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Ichigo returns to Soul Society after the quincy war to find that Byakuya has been afflicted with an unknown condition that affects his mind. At first, responding only slightly to the outside world, he drifts further away by the moment and begins to die. A determined Ichigo decides that now matter what happens, he will save Byakuya...yaoi, mpreg...Ichigo/Byakuya, Renji/Tetsuya
1. Scattered Blossoms

**Lost Inside**

**By Spunky0ne**

**(Ichigo returns to Soul Society after the quincy war to find that Byakuya has been afflicted with an unknown condition that affects his mind. At first, responding only slightly to the outside world, he drifts further away by the moment and begins to die. When the Kuchiki clan labels him a lost cause and orders him placed in a mental hospital, Byakuya's friends abduct him and strive to find a way to bring him back from the abyss. Whatever the cost, Ichigo vows he will save Byakuya.)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Scattered Blossoms**

"Hey, wait up, will you?" Renji called after Ichigo, "Are you really that eager to go back? You know, we've been pretty spoiled, being up here while the taichos and divisions have been dragging themselves out of the wreckage and picking up the pieces. I doubt they've been celebrating with feasts like we have. I heard some areas don't even have enough food and supplies to go around. I feel kinda bad, considering."

"Yeah, we should feel bad," Ichigo sighed, lowering his eyes as he entered the tenchurren, followed by Renji, Rukia, Chad and Orihime, and the four sat down in their seats, "I didn't think we should be celebrating at all, but I guess being up here, it's easy for them to forget the people struggling down there."

"I don't know if that's how it is," Rukia said, shaking her head and frowning, "I think after all that's happened, they were just looking for a way to increase morale however they can."

"That's fine if you're one of the lucky ones up here," Ichigo observed skeptically, "but tell that to people like Byakuya and Tetsuya, who had to stay behind and put things back together while we were stuffing ourselves and getting patted on the back. That stuff could've waited until everyone was taken care of, you know?"

"Yes, you're right," Rukia agreed, "I wasn't saying I agreed with them. I was just trying to give them the benefit of the doubt."

"Well, I will be glad to get back and help Taicho with things. I wasn't happy he strong-armed Rukia and me into attending for him, while he stayed behind doing everything."

"I think he was pissed at what they were doing and didn't want to be a part of it," suggested Ichigo, "And there were plenty of understandable reasons for him to stay behind and send someone in his place. Several of the other clan leaders did the same, and only Kyoraku and Ukitake of the Gotei 13 attended."

"I think the rest were as upset as you that the ones up there were celebrating," Rukia surmised, "They just don't realize the level of destruction that took place down in the Seireitei. The king's palace was damaged, but the five surrounding cities were left mostly untouched in the fighting, so they can't conceive of how badly things were broken down below."

"Yeah, well they need to wake up and smell the smoke from the burning carcasses then," Renji said bitterly, "We lost thousands of soldiers..._thousands_! Friends...family. Maybe those people weren't important to them, but they sure as hell mean something to those of us who live down here. And next time they..."

"Be quiet, you fool!" Rukia chided him, glancing around as the aforementioned taichos entered the tenchurren, "At least wait until we're out of here so we don't get in trouble."

"Yeah," Renji snapped softly, "We might not be invited back. Oh wait, we won't be invited back anyway because of the rules limiting contact between our worlds, except when the king needs our protection."

"Shh!" Rukia hissed, swatting him hard on the arm, "Quit it, Renji! You won't help things by getting your butt tossed in your division's jail when we get home."

"Did you forget?" Renji said sarcastically, "There _is no more sixth division jail_! The headquarters was reduced to rubble, unless they just want to bury me in it."

He broke off, going silent as Kyoraku sotaicho moved to sit closer to them.

"Kuchiki fukutaicho, Abarai fukutaicho, you must be glad we're going home," he said cordially.

"Yes sir," the two answered together, swallowing hard and trying to look as though they hadn't been maligning their recent hosts in the royal realm.

"I need to speak to the two of you before we get back home," he said more solemnly, "I received word of something that happened that will affect both of you..._all of you_, actually."

"What is it, sir?" Rukia asked worriedly.

"What happened?" Renji added stridently.

"Well, you know that the squads who still have active taichos are taking the lead in our defense while we pick up the mess from the fighting. There are still small bands of remaining quincies, some just hiding out to avoid being captured and some making suicide runs or surprise attacks on our forces that are trying to keep order."

"Did something happen to Nii-sama?" Rukia asked, her voice trembling, "Kyoraku sotaicho, is he...all right?"

"I'm afraid the news isn't good," the captain commander confessed gently, "Kuchiki taicho was dispatched with a group of his men to an area in the mid-Rukongai, where it was rumored a group of quincies was hiding out. There were twenty officers with him and fifteen unseated soldiers. His cousin, Kuchiki Tetsuya, also shadowed his group, as you know he does when Renji isn't there with Byakuya."

"Tetsuya?" Renji whispered, blanching, "Did something happen to...?"

"We don't know what happened," the captain commander confessed, "All we do know is that Kuchiki Tetsuya staggered into town with Byakuya in his arms. Both of them were grievously injured. Healers in the town stabilized them and sent them to the Seireitei with another military group that was returning. They were alive when they reached the fourth division, but Tetsuya's condition has been in a state of steady decline and he is not expected to survive."

"Oh kami..." Renji breathed, closing his eyes.

"I know the two of you became engaged recently, so I sent back word to have Tetsuya kept on life support to await your arrival. The acting clan leader will be meeting you there to discuss your options."

"What about Nii-sama?" Rukia asked, tears running down her face, "Is he...still alive?"

"He is stable," Kyouraku reported, "But Rukia, he is not doing well."

"I don't understand," Rukia mused, sniffling, "If Nii-sama is stable, then...?"

"He is not himself," the captain commander explained, "He is conscious and his physical injuries seem to have been addressed, but he is not responding to the people around him."

"N-not responding?" Rukia queried, looking confused, "But...?"

"He speaks a little, but he makes no sense. He is barely eating and has horrid nightmares when he tries to sleep."

"What's wrong with him?" Renji demanded, "They must have some idea how he got like that!"

"There was errant reiatsu found in both of their systems, and the reiatsu in Byakuya's body appears to have fused in some way with his own, making it impossible to isolate and eradicate. The healers hope that perhaps Orihime's power can help them, but they were unsure if it would, given the strength of the reiatsu that struck the two."

"Kyoraku sotaicho," Renji said urgently, "Did Tetsuya say _anything_ before he lost consciousness? Did he give them anything to go on?"

The captain commander sighed wearily.

"He only indicated that they were ambushed and that there was a poison inside them. He lost consciousness too quickly for them to question him."

"Damn!" Ichigo swore, "So, what can we do?"

"When we arrive in the Seireitei, we will be escorted to the fourth division, where you all will be fully briefed and allowed to see them. Renji, you will need to see to Tetsuya first, because, from what I understand, the interim leader of the Kuchiki clan feels that he is suffering needlessly and should be allowed to expire."

"Who is leading the clan right now?" Rukia asked, her eyes narrowing.

"A man named Kuchiki Orochi," the captain commander reported, his words making Rukia and Renji suck in surprised and horrified breaths.

"Orochi!" Rukia exclaimed.

"That _bastard_ wants to let Tetsuya die?" Renji fumed, "Over my dead body!"

"The healers are under orders to await my return before taking any such action," Kyoraku said bracingly, "As you know, normally the clan needn't have our permission to take one of their own from our care, but as we are still under martial law, everything goes through me. I figured you wouldn't take it too well if they tried to railroad your fiancè while you weren't around, so I made sure you'd get your say."

"Thank you, Sotaicho," Renji sighed gratefully, relaxing slightly, "It's good to know you're with me."

"We're with you too, Renji-san," Chad added solemnly, "Tetsuya-san is our friend too."

"He is," Orihime agreed, "And I will go to him right away and see what I can do to help. I know I'll be able to do something!"

"Thanks guys," Renji said, swallowing hard.

The group stiffened as the craft they were in rumbled loudly, ending their conversation, then it shot into the sky and began to fall towards the world below.

"Damn, I hate this part!" Ichigo complained, gripping the handles on his arm rest and panting slightly.

"Just so long as it's fast," Renji said in a haunted tone, "We need to get to them."

The tenchurren continued at a furious pace downward for several minutes, then began to rumble and shake as it slowed. Several sharp jolts unsettled the ones within, then the craft landed with a jarring bump on the ground.

Renji had his restraints off and was at the door before the others had fully exited their seats. Ichigo reached his side, sweeping up Orihime and breaking into blistering flash steps as the door opened. The group ignored the ones sent to meet them and raced towards the fourth division, trying not to notice the jumbled ruins of the buildings around them.

"Hell, this looks worse than it did when we left!" Ichigo panted.

"There have been quite a few attacks," Rukia acknowledged, "It's horrible!"

They quieted and flash stepped faster, barreling up the steps and into the Seireitei hospital, sliding to a stop as Kotetsu Isane appeared in front of them.

"Do you have any injured with you?" she asked wearily, then she stopped and shook her head in surprise, "Sorry! I didn't realize at first it was you. We've had so many injured."

"We heard," said Rukia, "Please, can you take us to Nii-sama and Tetsuya-san?"

"Hanataro will take Abarai fukutaicho and Inoue-san to Kuchiki Tetsuya and I will take the rest of you to Kuchiki taicho's room. I can only admit you two at a time, though. These men are in extremely poor condition."

Renji, Orihime and Hanataro disappeared down one hallway together, while the fourth division fukutaicho led the rest down another.

"The encouraging news about Kuchiki taicho is that, although he is out of sorts, he is stable at the moment. We just need to bring him out of the state he is in so that he can cooperate in his care and get well again."

"We'll get through to him," Ichigo said firmly, slipping a hand into Rukia's supportively as they reached Byakuya's hospital room and stepped inside.

Rukia's breath caught, then a sob escaped her as she spotted her very pale and distant-eyed brother, partially reclined in his hospital bed and staring blankly in front of him.

"Nii-sama!" she cried, moving quickly to his side and taking his hand, "Nii-sama, do you hear me? Speak to me, Nii-sama! Please!"

Byakuya only blinked slowly and his hand flinched slightly at her touch.

"Nii-sama!"

"It's going to be okay," Ichigo said, sliding an arm around her waist and hugging her, "Don't panic. He'll come out of it, I promise."

He glanced at the Kuchiki leader, then he froze as Byakuya's dark eyes cleared and focused on him for one shattering moment.

"B-byakuya?" Ichigo breathed, staring.

The clan leader's lips quivered and he managed a few unintelligible utterances. Then one word sounded clearly in the room.

"Ichigo..."

"Yeah, it's me," Ichigo responded, moving in close and taking his slender hand from Rukia, "I'm right here. Are you awake now?"

Ichigo's eyes darkened and a pained jolt gripped him as Byakuya's eyes clouded over again.

"I am sorry, Ichigo-sama," Isane said regretfully, "What you just saw was the most coherent exchanged he has managed since he was found. We..."

The healer broke off as pounding footsteps echoed in the hallway and Hanataro burst in through the door.

"Ichigo-sama! Ichigo-sama!" he shouted urgently, "I need you to come with me quickly. It's Abarai fukutaicho. He was with Tetsuya-san and a group of Kuchiki elders arrived and demanded that we remove Tetsuya-san from life support at once. Abarai-san objected and is holding them off, but...he and one of the elders are fighting!"

"I'm on it!" Ichigo cried, flash stepping away.

He raced ahead of Hanataro, following the sound of raised voices and loud thumps of impact.

"You aren't getting anywhere near him!" Renji roared, shoving the man in front of him back and advancing threateningly, "You son of a bitch! You _know_ Byakuya would never let you do this to Tetsuya!"

"Stand down, you blasted _mongrel_!" Orochi warned him, his dark obsidian eyes flashing menacingly, "Do you _know_ who you are speaking to? I am the leader of this clan."

"_Byakuya_ is your leader!" Renji seethed.

"Byakuya-sama has been incapacitated and is unable to lead at present. I was elected by the newly seated council and have _every _right to make decisions of this nature for any member of my clan!"

"You aren't making this one!" Renji snarled, drawing his sword and forcing the other man to retreat several steps, "Take one step towards my fiancè and I'll take off your head!"

"How _dare_ you threaten me!" Orochi hissed scathingly.

"Hey!" Ichigo snapped commandingly, stepping through the doorway and into the room, then laying a hand over Renji's on the hilt of his sword and lowering it slightly, "Take it easy. You guys are in a hospital, not a boxing ring. There are hurt people trying to rest."

"He wants them to take Tetsuya off life support right now!" Renji said shakenly, "Never mind that the healers haven't given up on him, this guy wants him dead!"

"I want no such thing," Orochi said coldly, "Tetsuya is obviously suffering and they have only kept him alive to this point to wait for you to arrive to say your goodbyes. So, say them and let him be at peace, Abarai-san. Do not stand in the way of clan law. Tetsuya is a member of our family and we are only doing what we feel is best for him."

"Like hell you are!" Renji raged, stepping forward again, only to be held back by Ichigo.

"Hey, we won't let him do anything to Tetsuya," Ichigo reassured him, "Just calm down, all right? My clan is higher in status than this asshole's, and he knows it. And the rules of the Noble's General Council give a ranking clan special privilege to officially argue the physical treatment of any clan member, family or not. I object to this and I demand a hearing to discuss it with your elders!"

"We have three elders here, as required by our laws," Orochi said readily, "Go ahead and argue all you want with them. They have spoken to the healers and they know he is a hopeless case."

"HE IS NOT A HOPELESS CASE!" Renji howled, "And you guys are not doing ANYTHING to him!"

"He is out of control," Orochi said icily, "You can see that."

"He's fighting for his lover's life," Ichigo said with equal coldness, "I think any of you would do the same. Now look, all of you know that you would have a hell of a time dealing with what Renji is right now. Is it really too much to ask that he be given sufficient time to deal with that? Wouldn't any of you want the same?"

"I think that is a reasonable request," said the oldest of the present elders.

"Nori," Ichigo acknowledged him, "Thank you. Now, if you look, you can see that Tetsuya is unconscious and is on pain medication. He is not suffering greatly, and there is certainly no rush to make this decision. We've brought Orihime, and as you see, she is making an effort to help him. Please give her time to do that. If it doesn't work, we can certainly give your idea consideration, but to give up hope before everything has been done..."

"Fine then, try all you want!" Orochi spat, "But in the end, he is only going to die anyway. You can't save him or that mindless former leader of ours!"

"Byakuya is not mindless," Ichigo corrected him forcefully, "He looked into my eyes and said my name."

"That's not possible," Orochi hissed softly, "He has shown no sign of response since he arrived here. You are either deluded or lying!"

"I'm not either," Ichigo fumed, "And you are not to take any action with either of these men. I am placing both of them under my clan's protection until a final determination about their prognoses can be made! You know I have that right!"

"As you wish," Orochi said, biting at the ends of the words furiously, "But you are overstepping boundaries Shiba Ichigo! You had best watch your back."

"Get out of here," Ichigo demanded, taking another step towards him.

Ichigo, Renji and Orihime breathed a sigh of relief as the interim clan leader and elders turned and stalked out of the room. As soon as they were gone, Renji returned to his unconscious mate's side and crumpled into a chair, taking Tetsuya's limp hand and kissing it fiercely as tears ran down his white cheeks.

"Just hang in there, okay?" he pleaded softly, "Don't go anywhere."

"Orihime?" Ichigo queried anxiously.

"The reiatsu that is in him is really powerful," the human girl lamented, "but given time, I know I can save him!"

"Do the best you can," Ichigo urged her.

"Is that gonna be enough?" Renji asked in a shaky voice, "Those guys really want him to die! Ichigo, there's something not right with all of this. I just..."

"It's gonna be okay," Ichigo promised, "We're going to watch over them now. No one's going to do _anything_ to them without going through all of us first!"


	2. From Dark Corners

**Chapter 2: From Dark Corners**

"Hey, Ichigo," Renji said in a low, tired voice, looking up from where he sat, holding Tetsuya's limp, pale hand, "Thanks for getting Tetsuya moved in here with Taicho."

"It's no problem," Ichigo sighed, still facing away and looking out the window of the hospital into the cloudy night sky, "How's he doing?"

Renji studied his fiancé's heavily bandaged body and swallowed hard.

"He's the same."

"Byakuya too," Ichigo said, stealing a look at the blankly staring clan leader.

"Yeah...well, at least those bastard elders aren't circling around, demanding we let them die anymore."

"I won't let that happen," Ichigo promised.

"Thanks," Renji said gratefully, stroking Tetsuya's fingertips lightly, "But Ichigo, don't you kinda feel like something's wrong here?"

"_Kinda_ wrong?" the Shiba heir queried, "I've been around Byakuya long enough to know a few things...like the fact that neither Byakuya nor Tetsuya trust that cousin of theirs, Orochi. I also know that only with both Byakuya and Tetsuya incapacitated could he do what he's doing."

"Do you think he had something to do with this?" Renji asked, his red brown eyes glinting dangerously.

"I don't know," Ichigo confessed, "But don't get ideas about accusing him of anything. We've got no proof of any kind he did anything. The attack took place far away from here and came at a time and in an area where there were lots of erratic attacks by the scattered remnants of the quincy forces. Some of those guys are still out there, making attacks. We can't say that it wasn't them, Buddy."

"Yeah, I know," Renji sighed impatiently, "The thing is...if it wasn't quincies, if it _was_ them, they'll try to get to them again. You and I can't watch them here, like this..."

"I've been thinking about that," Ichigo affirmed, "But there's a lot of politics that plays into things. While I can certainly put them under my house's protection, I can't actually have them _moved_ there. To do that would give their family possible grounds to accuse us of taking advantage in some way."

"Taking advantage?" Renji complained, "The only one I see taking advantage of what happened to them is Orochi. He didn't wait five seconds before pushing his way into leadership."

"You've got that part right," Ichigo agreed, "With a number of the elders having died in the war, there were several just elected. And without Byakuya and Tetsuya being able to object, he had a majority. It seems like old Nori's still on their side, but he knows he has to be pretty careful not to cross Orochi directly. We'll need to convince him and several more if we are going to get the Kuchiki council on our side."

"Right," Renji sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, then opening them to find Tetsuya's eye looking up at him and struggling to focus.

"H-hey," the redhead managed, his heart pounding, "Nice of you to wake up before I had to marry your unconscious body. How're you feeling?"

"I...I don't...know," the noble answered dazedly.

"Do you hurt anywhere?" Ichigo asked, "You want me to get Hanataro back in here?"

"Get who?" Tetsuya asked, looking confused.

"Hanataro," Renji repeated in an unsettled tone, "The healer kid, you know. He's healed you before..."

"S-sorry," Tetsuya panted regretfully, "Everything is really fuzzy."

"That's all right," Ichigo assured him, moving closer, "It'll clear up soon for you. The important thing is to rest and eat to restore yourself."

"He's right," Renji agreed, lifting Tetsuya's hand and kissing it gently.

He sucked in a surprised breath as the noble shivered and pulled his hand free.

"Whoa! What's wrong?" Renji asked uncertainly, "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Tetsuya answered solemnly, "You didn't hurt me. But...do I know you?"

"Do you know me?" Renji mused, "Are you kidding me? Tetsuya, we're about to be married!"

"Wh-what?" the noble asked, a look of near panic taking over his face.

The machines hooked up to monitor him began to beep sharply and footsteps immediately sounded in the hallway.

"Tetsuya, I'm sorry!" Renji insisted gently as Isane entered the room, "Please, I didn't meant to upset you."

"P-please, I just...I can't..."

"Abarai-san, Shiba-san, will you excuse me for a moment. I will need to calm and examine Tetsuya-san."

"Yeah, okay. Sorry," Renji said worriedly, "But look, he doesn't recognize me!"

"I'm sure it will be all right," the healer said soothingly, "People with injuries like yours, Tetsuya-san, will often have gaps in their memories. Most often, the memories return before long. You must not get agitated, as calm is better for helping you recover."

Tetsuya started to object, but was quelled as the healer's palm touched his cheek, infusing him with a gentle, sedative kido. His eyes glazed over and closed, and his breathing evened out as sleep over took him again.

"I'm really sorry," Renji said sincerely, "I wasn't trying to upset him. It just surprised me that he couldn't remember anything."

"Nevertheless," Orochi's voice said from the doorway, "you _did _upset him badly. He was trembling. He was obviously terrified of you."

Ichigo started to give a hot reply, but froze as Byakuya emitted a strangled cry and fired a blast of destructive kido at his cousin.

"Byakuya!" the Shiba heir cried, stepping in between them and absorbing the released energy before it could do any damage, "Hey, quit that! I know the guy's a jerk, but you can't just do that!"

"He's out of control," Orochi said firmly.

"What?" Renji objected.

"No way!" Ichigo agreed.

"You saw him attack me," Orochi said calmly, "He and Tetsuya are, unfortunately, in need of intense emotional and mental therapy, don't you agree, Kotetsu Isane?"

The healer studied the two with a sad expression.

"I have to agree it is troubling that Kuchiki taicho attacked you without provocation like that, but Tetsuya-san..."

"He has lost his memory," Orochi stated, "I heard. I was coming to check on their progress, but it seems their minds are deteriorating."

"Oh, it is too soon to say something like that," Isane argued, "We aren't even done treating them for their injuries yet. Their bodies are still recovering from the shock of having been so hurt. We must treat them first, then make that determination."

"But you have regulations for the safety of your staff and other innocent people they could harm, ne?" Orochi insisted, "You need to, at very least, confine them so that they won't hurt anyone."

"Hey! Tetsuya hasn't done _anything_!" Renji cried, placing himself between the dark-eyed Kuchiki and the younger of the two injured nobles, "And Taicho probably only attacked because it looked like you were closing in on Tetsuya."

"That is not true," Orochi argued.

"Gentlemen, this is not good for our patients. You must take this argument outside of the room. I will take responsibility for seeing that these two men are not a danger. And _neither_ of these two are going _anywhere_ until I decide they are recovered enough!"

"As you will," Orochi said shortly, "But I am returning to our council and reporting on this incident. It is clear my cousins need more intervention than you can safely provide. And Shiba Ichigo, unless you can show just cause for not accepting our decision, you have no choice but to allow them to be given back into our custody. You are taking terrible chances with people's safety, leaving them here."

"Just back off and get out of here," Ichigo said in a low, warning voice, "Go and convince the council, then. But they're going to know you're just spouting bullshit."

"You're as delusional as those two are," snapped the angry noble, turning on his heel and flash stepping away.

"Sorry, Isane," Ichigo said sincerely, "I didn't mean to make thing worse, but that guy is trying to..."

"I understand what he is trying to do," the healer said, lowering her voice cautiously, "And I have to warn you that he is going to get his way if you don't do something. Those elders are powerful and we are limited in how long we can hold their relatives, once they are stabilized physically. I can delay this for another day or two, but after that, the Kuchiki council can reclaim them and take control of their care."

"We can't let that happen," Renji said, shaking his head firmly, "Orihime just pulled off a miracle, bringing back Tetsuya from being almost dead. That guy will have him six feet under and Taicho in a loony bin if we don't act quickly."

"But we can't go off half-cocked," Ichigo warned him, "Renji, I want you to stay here and call up some of our friends to come and help watch out for them while we make some plans."

"What kinda plans are you thinking of, Buddy?"

"None that I should hear," Isane said, stopping them for a moment, "I have to put them in soft restraints for now and seal away their powers. I will continue to check on them hourly, through the night. Let me know immediately if you see that they require assistance."

"Thanks," Ichigo said gratefully.

"It is no trouble," Isane assured them, "Kuchiki taicho and Tetsuya-san are good people. I believe very strongly that they will recover, but I admit I am worried about those men coming back and interfering, so be careful."

"We will," Ichigo said, nodding approvingly as she left them alone with the two injured nobles.

"Get moving, Ichigo," Renji urged the Shiba heir, "I've got this. I won't let anyone touch them. But hurry and get your clan to help us out here, okay?"

"I'm not sure what they can do, at this point," Ichigo said, frowning, "but we have to do something."

The two paused, staring as the Seireitei alarms began to wail.

_Red alert, Red alert, south of the main gate. Squads eleven and nine please respond._

"Damn, it never seems to end," Renji complained.

"Are you sure you won't be called in?" Ichigo asked, frowning worriedly.

"I won't be," the redhead assured him, "Kyoraku sotaicho put our division on home duty, inside the gates for now. I think he knows what that asshole is trying to get away with. Don't worry. I won't let anyone mess with Taicho or Tetsuya-san while you're taking care of things. Just hurry. It seems like Isane-san was convinced the elders would act soon. We don't want to lose our opportunity to help them."

"Okay," Ichigo said, turning away, "I'll be back real soon."

Renji watched as he left, then sat down at Tetsuya's side, his fingers tracing the edges of the soft restraints regretfully.

"I'm real sorry about all of this," he apologized to his senseless mate, "I didn't want to leave you before. You know that, right? I feel like it's my fault you ended up like this...you and Taicho. But don't worry, okay? Ichigo and I are gonna take care of you and Taicho. We won't let anyone hurt you. We're gonna make sure you get better, so that you can go back and kick the ever-loving hell outta your cousin, Orochi. That guy's worse than a snake, Tetsuya. And if I find out he had anything to do with what happened to you, I swear I'm going to kill him!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The nine gathered Kuchiki elders looked up as Orochi opened the great wooden doors and strode into the meeting chamber. He proceeded to the head of the ornate oak table and sat down in front of them, waiting as Head Elder Nori called their meeting to order.

"Councilor Orochi," he said solemnly, "we are anxious to know the status of our leader and fellow elder. What did you find out when you visited the hospital?"

Orochi inhaled slowly and released his breath regretfully.

"Unfortunately, although their physical state seems slightly improved and Tetsuya has been upgraded from critical to stable condition, thanks to the human girl, Inoue's intervention, it is clear that we cannot depend on either of them returning to us."

"They are still so badly affected?" queried a green-eyed female elder.

"Yes, Arisu, I am afraid so," Orochi confirmed, "For no reason at all, Byakuya attacked me as I but entered the room. Tetsuya was talking utter nonsense. He doesn't even know who he is."

"This is awful," said a brown-eyed, silver-haired male elder.

Ryuu is right," Nori agreed, shaking his head, "But they are, you say, improving physically?"

"Yes. And as they continue to grow stronger, they will become more dangerous. I think that to protect innocent lives, we must see that they are placed in a facility that is better equipped to help them."

"You really think that is necessary?" Nori argued.

"We dare not take risks with people's lives," Orochi said warningly, "We have already faced horrible losses in the war. Our only course of action is to institutionalize them...to see they get the best of care and to reassess their condition later, after they have had every chance to improve. But to have the authority to order this, I must have the council's support."

Orochi's eyes met the other councilors' sternly.

"We have all endured very painful things in this conflict and we are all torn at losing our leader and one so accomplished as Tetsuya was. But we cannot hold onto the past. If we allow ourselves to become mired in our regrets and wishful hopes for them, we could make ourselves vulnerable at a time when we can least afford it. No, we must gather our strength and move forward. I move that we declare our cousins incompetent to continue in their roles and make my leadership permanent."

"But isn't that too sudden?" Nori argued, frowning.

"Nori-dono," Orochi said respectfully, narrowing his eyes slightly, "Do you realize how it will look to the other clans who hear of our cousin's shocking behavior? We cannot afford to appear weak now or not perfectly in control. The way we are viewed is extremely critical as the noble houses are rebuilt and the new Noble's General Council is seated. Unless you want to lose our standing among the others, we must act now to protect our reputation."

"Unfortunately, I do see his point," Arisu said grimly, "I have heard talk already from some of the elders of the other clans. They are concerned at what has happened."

"Yes," Orochi agreed, "but we can stop that. We only need to work together. Let us put it to a vote now."

Off in the corner of the room, two attendants watched silently as the elders on the main floor discussed the proposal, then turned their attention to the consoles in front of them.

"This is bad," Kuchiki Koji whispered to his elder brother, watching the faces of the elders closely, "Torio, we have to warn Ichigo-sama! He is Byakuya-sama's friend. He won't let this happen."

Torio's jade colored eyes blinked and he gave Koji a slight nod.

"You're right. We should go to him now, before the meeting ends and Orochi-sama comes looking for us."

"I can't stand him! He's horrible," Koji complained, "and you know he'll be worse, now that he's going to be leader."

"But you realize that by doing this, we are defying him. We could be punished severely...even banished for it."

Koji gave his brother a skeptical look.

"Whatever the elders would do is no worse than Orochi-sama would do, once he's leader. You know what he did to Tetsuya-san when he was incarcerated in the family prison!"

"I know," Torio agreed, "Let's go, then, before they finish. I saw the look in their eyes. I know already how the voting will go."

The two left off talking and slipped out of the room, then fled the building and headed for Shiba Manor.


	3. Whispers of Insanity

**Chapter 3: Whispers of Insanity**

_Byakuya moved beyond the edges of the small, devastated town, trying not to see the little of bodies that the recent attack had left behind. At his side, Tetsuya blinked away the moisture that touched his blue eyes as he witnessed the signs of a cruelty as horrendous, if not worse than any he could remember._

_"Byakuya..." he breathed, wondering at how the very air he took in felt like splinters as he passed the bodies of a mother who had died shielding her doomed child, the remains of the dog that had tried and failed to defend them both and the shattered and burning home that still smoked and crackled behind them._

_"They had no warning," Byakuya surmised, "This enemy watched before striking and struck cleanly...with purpose."_

_Tetsuya gazed at him in surprise._

_"But...the quincies did not have ambitions of destroying the normal souls, just the shinigamis of the Seireitei. Watashi no itoko, something is very wrong with this!"_

_"Agreed. Tetsuya, stay on your guard and come with me."_

_The two followed the path of destruction, forcing themselves to carefully study everything, from the evidence on the broken buildings to the bearing of the enemy's path, from the clusters of collapsed and ruined bodies to the very scars on the earth. Lines of frustration marked their faces as they worked and they paused as they passed the last destroyed tenement._

_"Something is out there...in that direction, ahead of us," Tetsuya reported._

_"I sense it too," Byakuya agreed, "We should separate slightly to make it harder to attack both of us and we'll use your shikai."_

_"Hai," Tetsuya agreed, swiftly invoking his power._

_Their coloring faded and their bodies seemed to become translucent. They moved away from each other and onto the edges of the trail leading out of town. Carefully avoiding direct rays of the sun that would expose them, they remained in the shadows and skirted the edges of the woods, searching for any sign of the town's attackers. Tetsuya felt a shift in the reiatsu around them and scanned the area carefully. He let out a frustrated breath at feeling the sensation of being watched and carefully stalked and looked across the trail, where he sensed his cousin._

_Tetsuya flinched and made a sound of surprise and pain as he felt a small, sharp sting on his ankle. He looked down and his frown deepened as he felt the continuation of the pain, but could not see any cause. But the spreading numbness that began to assault his body was warning enough._

_"Shussui!" he gasped, drawing his sword and sensing Byakuya's direction._

_Cool liquid seeped into his veins, flooding them with relieving reiatsu and buying him time to warn his cousin of the danger._

_"Byakuya-sama!" he cried, "your senkei!"_

_He limped in the direction he sensed Byakuya in, arriving in time to find the clan leader, staggering back and seeming to struggle with something unseen._

_"Byakuya!"_

_Tetsuya flash stepped to his side, ignoring the sting of additional unseen enemies as he touched Byakuya and offered him the same relieving infusion._

_"Raise your senkei, cousin!" he called out again, "We'll be able to hit them even if we cannot see them!"_

_"Bankai," Byakuya panted, trying not to notice as more enemies attacked and their bites not only infused the two with more venom, but began to draw blood, "S-senbon..."_

_"Byakuya!" Tetsuya cried again, invoking his own shikai and sweeping the area around them with water to try to drive the invisible creatures away._

_To his dismay, whatever the creatures were, the water did not faze them as they continued their assault._

_Byakuya's shikai roared to life and swept the area around them with bladed petals. The two sighed in relief as the petals seemed to destroy whatever was attacking, but reacted swiftly as a barrage of bright blades of lights exploded all around them._

_"This isn't quincy power!" Byakuya exclaimed._

_He started to say more, but went suddenly silent as a sharp, unforgiving pain rose up in his midsection. He looked down in surprise and found a sword tip protruding from his abdomen. He heard Tetsuya scream in pain and watched him fall as the sword impaling him began to glow with malevolent light. Pain exploded everywhere at once and he crashed to the ground, his shocked mind unable to comprehend how quickly they had been undone. As he lost consciousness, he had the strange feeling of something wrapping around his insides and squeezing until he could barely breathe. Numbing terror flooded his body from end to end as whatever had invaded him crept up his spine and seeped into his brain, stealing away his senses and leaving him immobilized and completely senseless. The last thing that reached him was Tetsuya's howl of terror and an explosion of something icy sweeping over them._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, it's all right. Calm down, okay?" Ichigo pleaded softly, slipping his hand into Byakuya's sweating one and trying to muffle the moans and incomprehensible utterances that he emitted, "We don't want to give them any more reason to think you've lost it."

"Th-they are biting!" Byakuya panted, earning worried glances from Ichigo and Renji, "I c-can't see th..."

Ichigo reacted swiftly as a swirl of petals began to form around them. His reiatsu surrounded the petals, destroying them before they could cause any damage. He didn't dare look at Renji as he adjusted the limiter on Byakuya's wrist to reset it at his strongest level.

"He's getting really dangerous, Ichigo," Renji whispered, "and you know we're being watched. It won't be long before they'll be able to convince the healers to send them away. What are we going to do?"

He looked down at Tetsuya, whose eyes had opened and were watching the redhead with no sign of recognition and a large measure of fear.

"We can't do this on our own anymore," the Shiba heir concluded, "But just so you know, I was able to speak to Kisuke earlier. He said that if we can get Byakuya and Tetsuya to him, that he will help us escape to a safe house, where he can try to help them."

The two turned their attention to Tetsuya as the younger noble seemed to suddenly realize he was restrained and began to struggle.

"Wh-what is this? What are you doing?" he cried, writhing under his bonds, "Let me go! I haven't done anything. Let me go! Let me go!"

"Hey, take it easy," Renji said soothingly, brushing several strands of wavy hair away from Tetsuya's sweating face, "The healers restrained you for your healing. You were very badly injured and struggling could hurt you."

"Let me go! Let me go!" Tetsuya sobbed senselessly, "You can't keep me here!"

Ichigo and Renji leaned over their respective charges, but their objections continued until the door to the room opened and Kotetsu Isane entered with a second healer.

"I am sorry. I must sedate them," she told their two friends, "Their reiatsu is breaking through even the stronger limiters we've put on them."

"No, please! Stop!" Tetsuya screamed, struggling wildly as the second healer approached, "Don't let them...don't! S-stop, please!"

His objections faded into softer, agonized sobs as the healer immobilized him and quickly applied the sedative to his IV. Renji watched with tormented eye as his lover's lips continued to move and tears ran down from his closed eyes.

Across the room, Kotetsu Isane waited as Ichigo held Byakuya still, then moved forward and injected the sedative into his IV.

"I c-can't see them!" Byakuya gasped, his eyes opening wide and fixing on Ichigo.

Ichigo stared into the deep, wide centers, his insides chilled at the emptiness there.

"They are...invisible! They...this...it..."

Take it easy. It's okay now," Ichigo said, squeezing the Kuchiki heir's hand, "You're at home and safe now. You have to rest and get better."

"B-but they are not...they...are invisible!" Byakuya moaned, earning sympathetic looks from the healers as he began to lose consciousness again, "Th-they are not...quin..."

His words faded and his body went limp.

"Renji-san, Ichigo-san," Isane said sadly, "They are not improving. They are, in fact, deteriorating mentally. And a few minutes ago, I received an order from the Kuchiki family for the two to be moved to a long-term care facility some distance from here. You won't be allowed to see them. The Kuchiki family has also issued a privacy order."

"Whoa, they can't do that, can they?" Ichigo objected, "Renji is engaged to Tetsuya! They were going to be married. They can't disallow him visiting Tetsuya, can they?"

"Actually, as the engagement wasn't official and the two had yet to take any vows, the clan has complete control over Tetsuya-san's fate."

"And I have no real claim on Byakuya, even though I'm the only one he really responds to at all," Ichigo sighed, "Isane, what can we do? Look, we can't let them be taken away. We can't!"

"Ichigo's right," Renji insisted, "You saw. You know that cousin of theirs just wants to make sure they'll never come back. That's why he's sending them away and not letting us see them."

"My hands are tied," the healer confessed, "I have no power anymore to keep them, because the Kuchiki family had their own healers examine the records and they concluded that the two were stable enough to be transferred."

"I smell a rat on that one," Renji huffed disgustedly.

"Yeah, me too," agreed Ichigo, "Please, Isane, you have to..."

"I told you I can't do anything," the young woman said sadly.

She paused for a moment, her expression growing even more sad.

"But..." she went on, earning curious glances from Ichigo and Renji, "I know if Unohana taicho was still here, she would think of something to do. And...I think what she would do is to order a final examination in one hour and give the two of you _time to say your farewells _to these two patients."

Giving the two a determined wink, the healer exited the room.

"You know that they will have the exits watched," Ichigo said softly, quickly releasing the unconscious Kuchiki heir's restraints.

"Yeah," Renji agreed, frowning.

"So, how do we get out?"

Renji started to shake his head, but paused as he lifted Tetsuya's unconscious form and gazed down at his lover's troubled sleeping face. Slowly, a look of triumph rose on his handsome tattooed features.

"What?" Ichigo inquired, "You have an idea?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Okay, shoot, but shoot fast!"

"All right. You know that Tetsuya and Arashi use the same powers."

"But Arashi disappeared when Tetsuya was injured," Ichigo objected, "He can't help us."

"No," Renji agreed, "But because of the strength of the resonance between us, Tetsuya told me that it might be possible for us to borrow each other's powers."

"But you've never done that, have you?"

"No. But it's worth a try, right? Just give me a sec."

He leaned over Tetsuya and touched his lower abdomen, sending some of his own reiatsu into the injured shinigami's body.

"What are you doing?" asked Ichigo.

"I'm drawing in a little of his reiatsu and mingling it with mine."

"I hope you know what you're doing," the Shiba heir sighed impatiently, "If not, we're not going to get out of here with them. Hurry up, will you?"

"Okay, okay, let me give this a try now."

Renji lowered his head and focused intently on Tetsuya's midsection, willing his power to come to life. At first, nothing happened, but after several more minutes, a flicker of blue coalesced around Renji's hands and the redhead's hands disappeared.

"W-well, that's pretty impressive," Ichigo admitted, "But I think more than our hands have to disappear, buddy."

"Shut the hell up! I know that!" Renji exclaimed irritably.

He focused harder and slowly made himself and Tetsuya disappear into waterforms, then focused on Byakuya and Ichigo as well.

"Now, we just have to stay out of direct sunlight and don't get hit more than once if we are attacked. The waterform won't be very strong, but it can hide us a little."

The two froze as angry voices sounded outside the door.

"You have received a direct order from the highest ranking noble family, you _stinking peasant_!" Orochi's voice hissed scathingly, "Now, get out of the way so that we can move our cousins to the new facility!"

Ichigo and Renji clutched their respective charges and retreated to a shaded corner of the room, holding their breath as the door crashed open and several members of the Kuchiki clan entered the room. Orochi spotted the empty beds and turned on the reeling healers.

"You _fools_! You've let those two abduct our cousins. Do you realize what you've done?"

"I am sorry sir," Isane said with surprising poise, "But your own guards have been watching the whole time. We have a lot of patients, as the war has only just ended. You cannot blame us if your own security failed."

"I swear," Orochi snarled furiously, "If I see that blasted red haired beast or that poor excuse for a noble, Shiba Ichigo, I will destroy them!"

"Be that as it may," Isane snapped back, "You no longer need to be destroying the calm in this hospital. I suggest you go before I have _our _security forces eject you forcibly!"

"Don't worry. I don't want to spend another second in this dirty, vermin infested place," Orochi seethed.

He turned to his accomplices.

"They were just here. They can't have gone far. Find them!"

"Hai!" the others shouted, flash stepping away.

Ichigo and Renji waited until the men were gone, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on," Ichigo urged the redhead, "Let's get out of here. We have to get to Kisuke."

"But they're running ahead of us, and I'll bet that's one of the first places they'll look."

"I have an idea about that," Ichigo offered.

"Oh, what? You wanna tell me how the hell we're supposed to...?"

He paused as a sly smile rose on Ichigo's face.

"What is that look? What are you thinking, pal?"

"I was just thinking that if the senkaimon isn't available and they're going to be watching for us in Karakura Town, "I might know a place they won't be looking."

"Why does that give me a bad feeling?" Renji groaned, "What are you going to do?"

His face was overwritten with surprise and dismay as Ichigo extended a hand and calmly opened a garganta.

"Hey! What the hell? When did _you_learn to do _that_?" Renji demanded.

"Shh, don't tell," Ichigo said, smirking, "A little blue haired bird that likes to fight offered to take me on anytime and gave me a free pass to meet him in Hueco Mundo."

Renji's eyes widened.

Shut the hell up! You don't mean _him_, do you? You've got to be out of your fucking mind! That guy almost killed you!"

"Yeah, well that was a while ago. We're on better terms now. I think I can get him to help us. But we'd better hurry. Opening a garganta's going to draw attention to us."

He nodded in the direction of the door as footsteps sounded in the corridor.

"Come on!"

The two dashed into the opened cavern, carrying the two Kuchiki nobles, then Ichigo closed the path behind them, just as the door began to open.

"Whew! That's a relief," Ichigo sighed.

"It's no relief," Renji complained, "You are out of your goddamned mind Ichigo! Grimmjow's going to fuck us over. I know he will!"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said, turning to lead the way, "I've got this."

He set out ahead of Renji, his eyes betraying the slightest doubt.

"At least, I think I've got this..." he muttered, not loud enough for Renji to hear.


End file.
